Piper J3C-85 accident near Winter Haven, Florida, March 16, 1985
On March 16, 1985 at about 6:20 pm local time, a Piper J3C-85, registered N6716H, suffered minor damage in an accident near Winter Haven, Florida (Browns Seaplane Base airport). It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 16, 1985 · about 6:20 pm local time
- Place
- Winter Haven, Florida · Browns Seaplane Base · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper J3C-85 · all J3C-85s on the register
- Registration
- N6716H · no longer on the register · serial 19930
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
WHILE TAXIING BACK TO THE SEAPLANE RAMP AFTER LANDING THE ACFT STRUCK A SMALL FISHING BOAT CAUSING FATAL INJURIES TO THE BOATS SOLE OCCUPANT. THE ACFT WAS BEING TAXIED AT HIGH SPEED ON THE STEP AND S TURNS WHERE BEING MADE TO CLEAR THE AREA DUE TO THE PLT NOT HAVING ANY FORWARD VISIBILITY FROM THE REAR SEAT OF THE ACFT. THE BOAT WAS SPOTTED BY THE PLT JUST PRIOR TO IMPACT BUT EVASIVE ACTION COULD NOT AVOID THE COLLISION.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; multi-engine sea; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,886 hours in all; 269 in this make and model; 305 in the last 90 days; 1,692 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rear
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,555 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, March 4, 1985; 27 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,220 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental C-85-12 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18, 3,400 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 230° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 8 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 25,000 ft; scat at 3,000 ft
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:51 pm from MCO, 34 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.